A Watcher's Son 3, Past and Future
by Alec Star
Summary: The time has come for Giles and the Scoobies to get to work on rebuilding the Council, but for that they need some new blood. Crossover with The Sentinel.
1. Chapter 1: The Researcher

**_Disclaimers:_** I don't own the characters, I don't own the concepts, I make no money, I make no sense and i get no sleep but on a positive note I do love feedback (so please review)

**_Warning/comment:_** This is a series I wrote between about two years ago, before I really started posting here and it has not really been revised since then, so there may be a few mistakes here and there, sorry about that.

The story is complete, there are 52 chapters to this thing, split into five parts with an interlude between parts one and two. I will be posting roughly every other day.

A fair warning, in the original version I never made the POV of each chapter explicit and I'm not about to change that now so you are going to have to guess (that's half the fun anyway, as far as I'm concerned).

This is obviously a crossover.

**_Timeline:_** Buffy-wise this story is post 'Chosen' and slightly AU.

* * *

**_A Watcher's Son 3 - Past and Future_**  
Chapter 1: The Researcher

I'm nervous, I'll admit that much. We are still vulnerable enough that I'm really not comfortable with the whole notion of bringing strangers into our lives and even though in time this young man we are now waiting for will probably grow to be an ally, right now he's still a stranger. The problem is that sooner or later we will need new blood and that is what this new recruit --a young researcher-- is: new blood. I am well aware of his story, of the irony of his life and I'm know just who --or rather what-- he is. Joe told me about it when he recommended him as 'The Guy' if we hope to rebuild the Watchers' library.

At least I am somewhat comforted by the knowledge that I am not the only one who is worried about this latest addition to our little group. No one is saying anything, of course, but the fact that most of us are here is telling enough. In fact the only two absences are Andrew and Dawn, and that's only because Andrew took it upon himself to get Dawn out of here in what I suspect was a protective move. As Xander would say, it's not that we are expecting trouble, it's just that trouble always has a way of finding us... and I can't deny that Joe's friend is a little too much of a perfect fit for my liking.

To further complicate matters there is the fact that Joe won't be coming with his friend as he had originally intended to do. Something came up and his absence leaves us without the most obvious buffer for this encounter. If Joe were here it would be easier for me to accept that this guy is who he claims to be, without him I'll have nothing but a stranger's word and that thought bothers me deeply. Granted, with a sentinel, a shaman, a couple of witches and a slayer in the room there is almost no way for an impostor to get past us, but he doesn't know that. What I do know is that if he is up to something --if this guy is not completely honest about who and what he is-- Joe's friend will be lucky to get out of here with his life. Right now we can't afford to take any chances as far as our security goes and we all know it.

Oddly enough, in spite of everything, in a sense I am also grateful that Joe won't be here for this one. It's not that I wouldn't have enjoyed a chance to talk to him face to face, especially considering the fact that so far I've been unable to share with him anything but the most general aspects of our current situation. There are some things I'm not willing to discuss over the telephone and if Willow's hacking has taught me anything over the years it's that anything transmitted through electronic means leaves a clear trail that is all but impossible to destroy. I had been looking forward to our encounter --and his presence would certainly have been reassuring in our first meeting with this guy, if nothing else it would have given me a measure of peace-- but the fact that he won't be able to make it this time around is also a small blessing. The reason why I feel relieved by his absence is of a ridiculously mundane nature: the elevator is out... **_again_**.

That I had not anticipated when I chose this building for our new headquarters. I liked it because Jim and Blair were here, I liked it because it was old enough, so that it was a location that wouldn't really raise any eyebrows, unlike what would have happened if we had chosen to build a state of the art compound elsewhere. Those were all major advantages but the thing is that --for the fourth time since we moved to Cascade a couple of months ago-- we came home yesterday to find that the elevator wasn't working and the truth is that if Joe were to come to Cascade now that would be a serious problem. For us that elevator is only a minor nuisance, though I suspect that sooner or later we will have to find an excuse to do something about it, but for the time being we just have to deal with it, just like Jim and Blair have been dealing with it for years. A faulty elevator is part of the price we have to pay if we want to keep a low profile... and unfortunately keeping a low profile also means that moving the thing with magic --while certainly feasible-- is not really an option. We are not in Sunnydale anymore --our meeting with Captain Banks proved that-- and our new neighbors still haven't raised denial to an art form.

I realize that my mind is wandering and I try to focus once more on our current situation. I am curious about the guy we are going to meet but even though I trust Joe I keep wondering whether or not this is a good idea, if it's not too soon, if maybe I should have handled things differently, if maybe I should have met him elsewhere before asking him to come to Cascade... but of course, when I issued that invitation I believed that Joe would be making the trip with him. I'm still considering all those things when suddenly I see Jim tense up and when I see his reaction mirrored by Buffy a few seconds later I know that there's no turning back. He is here and I can see that the core Scoobies are instinctively getting ready for a fight while Jim and Blair are only marginally more relaxed. I open the door and I find myself face to face with Adam Pierson.


	2. Chapter 2: Can We Define 'New Blood?

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 2: Can We Define 'New Blood'?

'As soon as I get my hands on Joe I'm going to kill him.' That's my first thought as I look into Adam Pierson's eyes.There's no way he is a new Immortal, those eyes have seen too much. I go over everything Joe told me about this guy. He's supposed to be a research wiz who used to be in charge of the Methos Chronicles until a few years ago when he suffered his First Death and became Immortal himself. I haven't shared that information with the others yet --I had wanted to give him the opportunity to explain things himself-- but now I think it is safe to assume that he was Immortal long before he joined the Watchers. The problem I'm having is that in light of this new information his actions as a member of that organization don't make sense. He obviously never used his position as a Watcher to hunt others of his kind --I doubt they would have allowed him to live if he had, and Joe certainly wouldn't have recommended him for such a sensitive position-- instead he avoided the field and focused on research. Not only that, he chose to work on tracking down a myth, the legendary oldest Immortal whom most assume is dead if he ever existed at all. That is the part that doesn't seem to make any sense at all. What was he doing in the Methos Chronicles in the first place? The most obvious take on that situation would be that perhaps he was merely bidding his time, hunting for the greatest prize of all, but something tells me that is not the case.

I try to imagine why would one of the most ancient Immortals choose to work on the Methos Chronicles and I realize that there is only one possible explanation: Methos is far from a myth... in fact he is standing right in front of me.

* * *

I feel it almost before the door is opened, the power, the energy surrounding this guy is almost like a living entity. It is ancient and different. In a sense it almost reminds me of what I felt when I first met Dawn, but it's not quite the same. In spite of that energy this guy is human... or at least mostly human. Of course that tells us nothing about his intentions. One of the most painful lessons I've had drilled into my head is that human and humane are two concepts that don't necessarily go hand in hand... and this guy is not merely human, in a sense he is more than human.

When he steps into the room I get my first look of the guy. He looks normal and he has obviously put a lot of effort into looking non-threatening... perhaps I would describe it as too much effort if it weren't because I can tell that it is something he does almost instinctively rather than something he has done for our benefit. While it makes me nervous I have to acknowledge that considering the power I can sense coming from him, such a defense mechanism is only natural. He may be a threat, but I can't be sure about that. I do know he is old, ancient even... far older than any human with a pulse has a right to be and yet the sun is shining and I know Jim would have warned me by now if he were a vampire, so what **_is_** this guy?

* * *

I can feel Tara's hand in mine as soon as the new research guy walks in. I have no trouble interpreting her silent question, she wants to know if I feel it too and I squeeze her hand back, letting her know that I do. I think it's almost strong enough for Xander to feel it... the only problem is I can't tell just what it is I'm feeling. I look around and I know I'm not the only one who's getting curious. There's more to Giles new research pal than meets the eye and I try to identify just what he is in my mind. In a sense I suspect that Tara may be doing better than I am here. I can handle shifting beings between dimensions, summoning the elements, casting major spells and so on, but auras are **_really _**not my thing. I guess I'm kind of aura blind... is there such a thing as aura blind? There must be 'cause I'm it.

I can get a general feeling of age that seems very, _very_, **_very_** odd, but not much else. I do know, however, that this guy is unlikely to pose a real threat, at least not here. Most Big Bads aren't really big on the whole direct confrontation thingy, especially not right from the start and certainly not alone anyway... and by now we don't really see anything short of a Really Very Big Bad as a serious problem. We also know that the fact that this guy is not necessarily human doesn't automatically mean he's evil. So far we've worked with a couple of vampires, a former demon and a werewolf... it's been enough to help us get rid of all our prejudices. Actually, come to think about it, the current incarnation of the Scooby Gang feels a little too human... I'm not quite convinced of the fact that this guy is not human but --whatever he is-- maybe this latest addition is just what we need to get things back to normal.


	3. Chapter 3: 'Just a Guy?

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 3: Just a Guy?... Well Maybe in This Crowd

'As soon as I get my hands on Joe I'm going to kill him.' That's the first thought that runs through my mind when I hear the surprised gasps of six out of the seven people who are waiting for me. They are studying me with suspicion, with far more suspicion than Adam Pierson should warrant even from the most paranoid... and yes, that most paranoid would definitely be me.

I try to study them without making them any more nervous than they are but it's not working, it's almost as if they could see right through me. I had been expecting a watcher and a slayer, as well as some of their friends, but I hadn't imagined them to be anything like this. To make matters worse I know Joe told the watcher about my immortality, though he didn't tell him my age. That means at least one of them knows how to kill me if I spook them and I'm not sure that 5,000 years of experience would be enough to best a pissed off slayer armed with a sword which means I have no choice but to do something that terrifies me. I drop the Adam Pierson act completely and I raise my empty hands, keeping them well away from my body in that almost instinctive show of good intentions that has remained unchanged ever since I can remember. It seems to work, and it allows me an opportunity to study **_them_**, to try to place them within the context of everything I've ever encountered.

I can recognize the slayer, I had been expecting her so she doesn't come as a surprise except maybe in the fact that I really expected her to be taller, I also identify the watcher in the man who first opened the door... he is a powerful one, then I turn my attention to the others in the room. There are two girls sitting next to each other, both of them are looking at me as if I had two heads though neither one of them seems to be particularly concerned about my presence. It is clear that they don't see me as a threat... which would be just fine if it weren't for the little fact that I suspect that they are **_not_** underestimating me and that can only mean trouble. The good news is that they don't seem to be too trigger happy, though my instincts warn me that I don't want to make them mad, especially not the redhead. Then I turn my attention to the three guys.

The guy with the eye-patch is studying me with some suspicion but he is the only one who did not automatically react to my presence so I assume that his mistrust is based on how the others responded and I know he will probably follow their lead, which means he is the lesser threat. The other two guys seem like a study in contrasts at first sight, yet they come together almost as a single entity... it's been so long that it takes me almost a full minute to recognize them for what they are. That is a surprise, I haven't run into a Shaman/Guardian pairing in centuries and I certainly wasn't expecting to find one here.

Having recognized the true nature of most of the occupants of the room I start talking... fast. Not my preferred approach under normal circumstances, however these are anything but normal circumstances and that is the only approach that will work with this crowd. I am well aware that lying is not an option here and I know I can barely hope to get away with a couple of half truths. I have unwittingly walked into the lion's den and I have to tread carefully if I want to make it out of here with my head still attached.

We spend the next couple of hours talking and that turns out to be one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. The first surprise is their acceptance. I can see their curiosity, especially in the eyes of the shaman, the watcher and the redhead but they are not asking questions, at least not yet. They allow me to tell my tale and even though I barely mention some of the most unsavory parts of my past I am still amazed when they **_don't_** judge me... and then it's my turn to listen to their story.

At first it sounds reasonably normal --and I use the term loosely-- a slayer and her friends fighting the forces of evil, but then they get to the events that followed the destruction of the Council, the defeat of the First Evil and the events that led them to request my presence here. I feel the blood drain from my face when I realize what that seemingly innocent little redhead who is sitting on the couch did. Almost singlehandedly she altered the basic principles of the war against darkness, she released the power of all the slayers... no wonder she wasn't afraid of me. She could easily turn me into dust with barely a thought, and I'm not even a vampire!

This is definitely not what I signed up for but maybe I won't kill Joe after all. Yes, it's true that because of him I walked unwittingly into the lion's den when my first instinct would have been to run the other way, but he couldn't have known that. Besides I am old enough to know that once the lion welcomes you into his den you would be hard pressed to find a safer place and who knows --in spite of Mac's and Joe's teasing-- maybe in this crowd I can be what I've always been... just a guy.


	4. Chapter 4: The Journey from Death to Sco

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 4: The Journey from Death to Scooby

I look at the note someone slid under my door and frown. I have been in Cascade for a little over five weeks now and I've finally settled in. The fact that I don't have to hide who I am from those close to me is a refreshing change after centuries in the shadows, but still there is something odd about that note. It's not my paranoia trying to reassert itself, it's merely that it is different. I don't think they intended the note to be anything special, there are no signs of an impending apocalypse or anything like that --and I do mean literally-- but I'm having a hard time coming to terms with what it says. It's basically a message to tell me that tomorrow we will have a general meeting with all the Scoobies and that's what's weird.

It seems that sometime during this past month I have been added to that select group and I'm having some trouble adjusting to the idea. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I used to be known as Death, and my name alone was enough to instill fear in the hearts of the inhabitants of three different continents. I'm the embodiment of destruction in the Bible for crying out loud, and yet...

I'm not proud of what I did, of who I was, but still to go from Death to Scooby is a radical change to say the least... and the worst part is that if they wanted to, this little group of mortals could probably make the Horsemen look like a bunch of schoolyard bullies without even breaking a sweat.

I guess it's not so much that I'm having a hard time relating to the people as to the name. They are probably the most powerful force in the world and what do they choose as their name, their symbol? A cowardly cartoon great dane, of course. I can't wait until this batch of misfits decides that they must design a logo for the new watchers... that should turn out to be interesting. Maybe Andrew would be willing to take over that particular task. Luckily they seem to be less inclined to use tattoos as means of identifying each other.

At least in that regard they seem to have more sense than those who watch Immortals... I mean, if nothing else they seem to realize that permanently branding the members of a secret society in a clearly visible and easily falsified fashion is not a particularly bright idea. That should be a comforting thought if it weren't for the nagging questions as to whether that's due to common sense, or if it's merely because the idea of tattoos clashes with Buffy's fashion sense.

The fact that they don't take themselves too seriously is a refreshing change, except sometimes I wish they would... take themselves seriously that is. Or at least I wish they would take **_me _**seriously. For millennia I have been trying to leave Death behind and now that it seems like I've finally succeeded I'm starting to doubt whether or not that was such a good idea in the first place. After all, a little respect is a good thing. I mean, I mentioned this to Willow and what did she do about it? The next morning she sent me an e-mail informing me that she had taken the liberty of resetting my database access password to 'Flora' that's what she did... and I know it was not a coincidence. She **_knew_** I would get the reference --which has nothing to do with plants-- in fact I never expected **_her_** to know about that one. At least I'm grateful she just changed my password and didn't mess with my login. A password is private, getting 'Flora' as a screen name would have been too much, especially since I suspect that Willow wouldn't have been the only one to get that reference... Giles was there when I complained about the change --probably a little more loudly than I should have-- and I swear I heard him snickering. I could have lived with that particular incident if it had been something exceptional, but unfortunately it was far from an isolated event.

Like the other day. I confess I snapped when I told them that they should respect their elders, but really, these kids can try a saint's patience without even trying and I'm the first to admit that I'm no saint. Still, I think it was rude for the brat --I mean for Dawn-- to retort that maybe I should practice what I preach... so what if she used to be a ball of mystical energy for untold eons? As a human being she's not even four!

Of course, to that I have to add Blair's incessant questions. Even though he knows better than to write any of it down he is one of the most curious individuals I've ever encountered... and then I have my own personal hell: sparring with Buffy. It seems the watcher decided that my immortality could come in handy in order to save himself some bruises. Okay, he may have a point when he argues that I have more fighting experience so I can teach her more than he ever could, and the fact that she doesn't have to hold back against me is another critical advantage: She knows that as long as she doesn't behead me I'll be just fine. I'm even willing to admit that she's not the only one who benefits from those training sessions, my own speed has improved dramatically as a result of that sparring, she's faster than any Immortal could ever hope to be but still I have one thing to say in that regard: 'OUCH!'. That's right, I speak literally hundreds of languages --living and dead-- and I've been reduced to one little almost universal exclamation of pain.

I guess the worst part is that in spite of everything they are an incredibly effective group when they set their hearts to something... sometimes in spite of themselves. I have seen it in the short time I've been working with them. They are setting up a secret organization and they had done so in a remarkable way. No one in his right mind would expect to find anything like that in this place and they have successfully mixed magic and technology to cover their tracks. That --combined with their mere appearance, their childish pranks and their juvenile sense of humor-- makes up the perfect smoke screen. This place looks more like an out of control frat house than secret headquarters... or at least it would if it weren't for the fact that Jim sticks out like a sore thumb.

Maybe I shouldn't be trying to act my age after all... it's not like I'm looking forward to keeping Jim company in the sore thumb department. After all, if I'm no longer Death, then I might as well try to be the best Scooby I can be and have some fun while I'm at it. I've spent thousands of years learning to blend in and maybe it's time for me to test those skills once again. And on a positive note, at least they are not particularly inclined to bouts of brooding... I guess that's something.

I wonder how my private journals about these days will read like a hundred years from now.


	5. Chapter 5: Clinging to Sanity

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 5: Clinging to Sanity

I used to think that I could deal with strange and unusual but I've just learned that that's a matter of degrees and I think I'm out of my depth here.

When I first arrived in Prospect Ave. I saw a pretty average looking building, in an average looking neighborhood, in an average looking city. I rode an average looking elevator and then I found myself in a place that was anything but average... of course I didn't know that at the time.

I've been friends with Rupert for a few years now. I met him shortly after Ahriman was defeated. I needed some answers both for Mac and for myself... it was a shock to discover that the slayer's mentor is also known as a watcher. Of course, their names and their operatives' titles were just about the only things both councils had in common. For starters Immortal Watchers watch --Slayer Watchers are more like active participants-- and our respective charges are pretty much in opposite ends of the spectrum. I never really appreciated that fact until I arrived here in Cascade. Immortals are usually old --some are even ancient-- and they are sterile so there are rarely any children involved in their lives. Even young Immortals such as Richie --who was not much older than Buffy when he died-- seem aged somehow. Slayers are basically children who are doomed to die and will never have a chance to grow up... or at least they were until very recently, I suspect that's no longer the case.

The thing is that through most of my adult life I've had almost no contact with children. I have nothing against them in small doses but when I arrived here I was somewhat unprepared for Rupert's unruly bunch. They are not what I was expecting of a group of warriors who have averted the apocalypse more than once. They are loud, opinionated, irreverent and certainly not inclined to bouts of brooding but what I found most disturbing is how young they are. I knew this but it hadn't fully registered. I couldn't help but think that if most of them were to come into my bar they would certainly be carded.

They are incredibly young and at times I fear they may have more power than sense. After all, they have defeated a number of demons far worse than Ahriman over the years and that one almost managed to destroy Mac even after it was vanquished... and to this lot I sent the world's oldest Immortal. Once I met them I feared for my life. If I had been in the Old Man's shoes I would have wanted to kill me. They are nice kids but I suspect I'd need a dictionary in order to understand what they mean ninety percent of the time and yet Methos seems to feel right at home. As he says, he's been 'assimilated'... and something in the way he said it --not to mention some of their reactions to that comment-- makes me suspect that there was a hidden meaning there too.

That was another shock, that they would know the Old Man as Methos. When I asked him what happened to Adam Pierson he simply shrugged and told me that he had lasted for about five seconds under their scrutiny... which is disturbing in itself considering that he managed to fool the whole Watchers organization for a good ten years and even now they don't have a clue as to who he really is.

I met Rupert a few years ago and even though we hit it off almost from the start sometimes I'm not entirely sure how he manages to put up with his kids, but he is truly fond of them... and I remember how excited he was when he first met Blair. He has been more successful in establishing a relationship with him than I've been in building some sort of bridges to Amy, though I suspect Blair's nature had a role to play in that. Unlike Amy, Blair was almost eager to welcome his father into his life.

The thing is that I had heard a number of stories about him but I had never met him. I knew he was an anthropologist/cop but up until today I had no idea that he was also a shaman. That was one secret Rupert had never trusted me with. It's strange how --even growing up without knowing anything about his father's job or identity-- Blair managed to end up involved with the supernatural on his own.

Right now I'm wondering how many different forms the supernatural can possibly take and I'm not entirely sure I really want to know. What I've seen and learned today --out of the mouths of babes, in a sense-- has been truly mindboggling. I can hardly believe that only a few years ago I refused to acknowledge the existence of demons and now I'm surrounded by a group of children who have made it their duty to fight them.

It is too much and the truth is that I really need a drink --a stiff one, not a beer-- so I rule out the Old Man's place and opt instead for Rupert's loft. He opens the door, gives me a knowing look and then he hands me a shotglass and a less than half full bottle of Scotch without a word... so he does realize that his **_kids_** are enough to drive even the most devout Muslim to drink. I pour myself a shot, look at the tiny glass I hold in my hand and he tells me to go ahead, that he has done it himself more than once. I thank him with my eyes, carefully set the glass back down on the table and I take a big gulp straight from the bottle.


	6. Chapter 6: Of Champions, Chosen Ones and

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 6: Of Champions, Chosen Ones and Potentials

"So, Giles, what's with the big meeting and the long faces? Apocalypse? Demons? What?" Said Buffy as soon as she walked in the room.

"None of those, actually, more like long term planning."

"Long term planning? What happened to going from one crisis to the next? I mean, that approach has worked just fine so far so why change it? It's not like demons usually give us advance notice anyway. They are not all that considerate, in case you hadn't noticed."

"I'm with Buffy on this one." Chipped in Xander.

"Yes, well, it's not that type of crisis. More like planning what we are supposed to do about the Council."

"We won't be much help there. It's not like you've told us anything." Muttered Willow.

"And that's why we are here."

"So that you can continue not telling us?" Asked Dawn, feigning innocence.

"Funny. No, so that we can come up with a plan."

"Isn't the whole Council thing kind of your responsibility?" Insisted Buffy.

"No. I never meant it that way, I do need your input, though I do have some plans. I was just waiting for the right time to bring it up."

"So, start talking." Urged Buffy.

"Yes... well, first I think we should go over the Council's history so that you know where we stand."

"Finally!"

"You know, you are not making this easy."

"Good, I think I speak for all of us when I say 'we are not trying to'. You've been stalling for months now, so don't you turn around and tell us to behave."

"Yes, well, as you can probably imagine the true origins of the Council were lost many centuries ago."

"That doesn't sound right. I mean what happened to the good old Council lore you used to drill into us? You know, stuff like: 'In every generation a Slayer is born... yadda yadda yadda'?"

"Well, the Council pretty much wrote the Slayer lore and the truth is that I'm not sure how reliable a source that's likely to be when it comes to analyzing the Council's own history."

"Okay, who are you and what did you do with Giles?"

"I can question my sources, Xander. I knew I could trust the Council when it came to how to kill which demon so there was no need for me to do that, but as far as their own history... that's a different story, especially now. Up until a few months ago I still believed that the Slayer had existed since the dawn of times, now I know she was created by men. If we want the new Council to be different from its predecessor we need to understand where things went wrong."

"Could 'from the very beginning' be an answer?" Asked Buffy.

"What I mean is that we need to determine what went right and what went wrong and build on that... and remember that this won't just have an impact on the Slayer Watchers. We will have to do something about the Immortal Watchers as well."

"Is that why you insisted on putting this off until Joe's visit?" Said Blair, taking pity on his father and trying to get the conversation back on track.

"That's a part of it, certainly, though not necessarily for the reasons you think. I believe Methos could have provided us with the answers we are likely to need in that regard --no offense, Joe-- but I don't think either one of us wants to go over this more than once if we can help it."

"Go over what, and exactly when did I agree to go over it **_once_**?" Said Methos.

"I mean the Council's history and you know it. I have a general idea as to how we ended up with two different Councils but I'm not entirely sure how the Immortal Watchers lost their way."

"And what makes you so sure we've lost our way in the first place? Our task is to record without interfering and while I won't deny that there have been a number of bad apples I'd say most watchers do a good job." Interrupted Joe.

"That they do... the only problem is that that was never meant to be their job, at least not their primary job."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that thousands of years ago, when the Immortal Watchers were first established they were **_not_** historians... or not just historians."

"I'm still not following you."

"Joe, if you were to describe what a watcher does --a slayer watcher-- what would you say his job is?"

"I don't know, that he trains the slayer, helps her fight... pretty much does anything **_but_** watch."

"And can you define a slayer? Forget about the one girl in all the world and so on... in your own words, what's a slayer?"

"A champion whose duty is to fight demons, I guess."

"And what does that remind you of?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know someone else that could be described by those exact same words?"

"MacLeod... and the battle against Ahriman."

"Exactly."

"So are you saying that the Immortal Watchers were established to help the champion in the fight against Ahriman?"

"Among other things. They were supposed to identify and aid potential champions, just as slayer watchers identified and aided potential slayers, waiting for one of them to be called. I believe, however, that they soon realized that that was not an effective approach. Simply put, watchers could not compete with the more experienced Immortals when it came to training new Immortals and that forced them into a more passive role when it came to those 'potential champions' than the one we took with potential slayers. That passive role unfortunately did put them at a disadvantage when the time came to confront Ahriman. It is also interesting that you were the watcher who was put in a position of having no choice but to break the Watcher Oath and establish some sort of friendship with your charge."

"Are you suggesting that my friendship with MacLeod was not just a coincidence?"

"More like too much of a coincidence... unfortunately you did not have the tools necessary to identify it as such. You simply had no way of knowing what was coming so you failed to provide him with the support he needed at the time."

"Are you saying that Richie's death was my fault?" Asked Joe.

"Not at all. Both you and MacLeod were placed in an untenable position and you did remarkably well under the circumstances."

"But if the Watchers hadn't forgotten their task it could have been prevented?"

"I believe so. I can't be sure but it doesn't really matter. You can't let might have beens control your life."

"So, what happened? How did things get to that point?"

"I can only speculate but I suspect that preparing for a battle that takes place only once every thousand years was not imminent enough to be the immediate objective of an organization that was made up of mortals. I suspect that their lack of an immediate purpose may have lead them to focus mostly on their secondary purpose and in the end they totally forgot their primary one."

"Secondary purpose?"

"Yes, well, the fact is that up until a hundred years ago libraries were rare, swords were common and that tended to cause some problems between slayers and Immortals... and that's nothing compared to how things were thousands of years ago, before both Councils parted ways."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that --at a time in which too many texts were literally carved in stone-- slayers and their watchers were seldom in a position to accurately identify the demons they were about to fight before confronting them so a more general approach was preferred. That usually meant that slayers were trained to first stake their opponents and those who failed to turn to dust would then be beheaded, chopped to pieces and burned. It was not the most refined method but it worked when it came to eliminating the vast majority of demons, unfortunately it also tended to lead to a terminal case of 'dead' for those Immortals who just happened to get caught in the crossfire. That's the origin of the non-interference rule that was in time somehow extended to mean 'no contact at all'. In its original form it was only meant to keep slayers --rather than watchers-- from interfering with the lives of Immortals. In order to keep slayers from accidentally killing Immortals it was necessary for those Immortals to be identified so that was the Immortal Watchers' second task and the origin of their current form... and it's also the reason why Immortal Watchers always had some sort of mark that allowed them to **_be_** identified or rather to identify themselves. It was a symbol that in the old days would have enabled them to indicate to a Slayer that she was dealing with an Immortal rather than a demon."

"That sounds all very nice but there's one thing that doesn't make sense. If there is supposed to be an Immortal who is the champion in the battle against Ahriman every thousand years, how does the Game fit into this? I mean, I've been wondering about it for years now. What will happen with the battle against Ahriman once the winner claims the prize? Will the winner then be forced to fight Ahriman time and time again every thousand years? It just doesn't make sense."

"That will never happen, Joe." Methos interrupted. He hated parting with his secrets but he owed Joe that much, and the others would need the knowledge if they were to succeed.

"What do you mean it will never happen? Someday the Game will be over, in fact a number of Immortals believe that the time of the Gathering is near."

"The Gathering isn't here, it will never **_be_** here. There won't be a Gathering because there is no Game, not really. It's a long story --and not really all that relevant for the time being-- but trust me when I say that the Game is not what most Immortals believe it to be. It's not inevitable, that's why some of us can afford **_not_** to play. On the other hand there may be something about Immortals that makes the statement 'There can be only one' resonate so deeply within our souls... maybe it is some sort of instinct that binds us to the quest for a Champion every thousand years, which could also account for the way in which the Game picks up speed whenever the millennium approaches. Anyway, right now that doesn't really matter."

"You are going to explain that one, Old Man."

"Later, right now it's not important. We have other concerns."

"Other concerns?"

"Figuring out what to do about **_both_** Councils, trying to come up with some sort of plan to get them back on track... is any of this starting to sound familiar?"

"Those concerns."

"Yes. Remember, when the ties between both Councils were severed over one thousand years ago, the secondary purpose of the Immortal branch was also compromised. The Chronicles were kept but they were not shared with the Slayer Watchers. When there was a single girl in all the world that was a problem but not a huge one... now there are countless slayers running around so the chances for a less than friendly encounter between a slayer and an Immortal have skyrocketed. I suspect that's one of the reasons why Giles is so adamant about doing something to bring both Councils together again as soon as possible."

"Okay, but don't you dare think for even a moment that I'm going to forget about that little comment any time soon."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"So how did the Councils sever their ties... somehow I don't think it was as easy as a handshake with each branch going a different way."

"Errr... no... it was considerably more complex than that. There were a number of contributing factors and it was a rather long process." Explained Giles.

"How long?"

"It took a few centuries actually. I think it began even before the original library was destroyed and then the final connection was severed when the advent of Christianity forced the Watchers --both branches-- to go underground."

"The original library?" Asked Willow.

"What do you mean 'go underground'? Weren't the Watchers always a secret organization?" Asked Dawn.

"Maybe you should start by explaining what happened before the two branches split." Said Blair.

"One question at a time, and if you insist on doing this tonight I suggest you order your usual half a dozen pizzas. This will probably take a while." Muttered Giles as he cleaned his glasses. It seemed like the night was going to turn out to be as long as he had feared.


	7. Chapter 7: Roots

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 7: Roots

"Without delving into the whole Watcher lore aspect of things..."

"Thank goodness for that!" Muttered Xander.

Giles glared at him but refused to raise to the bait, choosing instead to go on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "The history of the Watchers can be traced back as far as the origins of the written word. They were already present in pre-dynastic Egypt, though even back then they were active in other regions such as Sumeria and through out most of the Mediterranean basin, so it's not unreasonable to assume that they already had a history stretching back at least a couple of centuries.

"Back then there was no need for the Watchers to be a secret society, that came a lot later. In the ancient world demons were known and feared so the original Council had no reason to hide. In fact in Egypt they were highly respected and sponsored by the Pharaoh, that's the origin of the Council's wealth.

"While not part of what could be described as the 'mainstream' religion at the time, the Council's place in society was assured. In a sense a certain distance from the most turbulent aspects of politics and power was deemed necessary, if only to keep the Council from getting caught in the quasi-regular periods of political upheaval that seemed to rock Ancient Egypt.

"In spite of numerous changes, Egyptian society allowed the Watchers to blossom for almost three thousand years, they even managed to survive Akhenaton's regime virtually undamaged. It was during the final years of the Egyptian civilization --during the Ptolemaic period-- that the Watchers had their greatest hour, but it was also then that the first seed of the schism between Slayer and immortal Watchers was sown. That was also the time in which **_The _**Library was built."

"**_The _**Library? What's with the uber-respect?" Asked Willow.

"Well, from what I've heard it was truly magnificent, with hundreds of thousands of scrolls... and mind you this was long before computers and at a time in which most people were illiterate."

"In other words, it was pretty awesome."

"It was more than just 'pretty awesome', even today its loss is mourned by those who have no idea as to its true purpose."

"What do you mean?"

"I think that what cryptic watcher over here is trying to say would make more sense if he were to mention just where this library was located. During the Ptolemaic dynasty the Watchers' headquarters were in Alexandria." Explained Methos.

"Are you telling us that the Library of Alexandria was actually the Watchers' library?" Dawn blurted out.

"Well, it was not just the Watchers', but the Watchers were one of the most important groups in it and the library also served as the Watchers' headquarters... at least until Julius Caesar decided to torch the fleet and set the whole city ablaze. There were some attempts at rebuilding after that, not just by the Watchers but by others as well, and it may even have worked if it hadn't been for the advent of Christianity... it was then that the book-burnings began in earnest.

"The thing is that while the destruction of the library by Julius Caesar was a tragedy, it was not a deliberate attack against what the Watchers stood for, it was merely 'collateral damage'." Explained Giles.

"Some collateral damage, it was pretty huge!"

"That it was, but still a catastrophic accident was in a sense less troubling than the deliberate damage inflicted by Theophilus some 440 years later which put an end to all attempts to rebuild. At that time two things became clear: The Watchers could not openly coexist with Christianity and being a state sponsored organization --while beneficial in a number of aspects-- left them in a position that was far too vulnerable.

"Over the millennia the Watchers had managed to acquire a wealth that surpassed even that of the pharaohs, who insisted on being buried with their treasures rather than passing them down to their descendants. That wealth allowed them to salvage some volumes and finally flee Egypt, choosing to resettle in what were remote provinces of the Roman Empire at the time. The Immortal branch headed for what's now France, the Slayer branch relocated to Britain and both branches turned into secret societies."

"So, it was then that the branches went their separate ways? Makes sense." Said Joe.

"For the most part. I suspect some attempts were made to keep in touch and maintain a common network, but those were turbulent years. The Roman Empire was about to fall, tensions were running high and in the end that network was not sustainable... not that either branch was all that interested in keeping it in place."

"It was only a couple of centuries after that that I first infiltrated the Watchers." Added Methos.

"I would have thought it would have happened sooner than that, Old Man. What took you so long?" Asked Joe.

"Well, I didn't really need to **_infiltrate_** the Watchers back in Egypt simply because there was no code of secrecy. The library was basically open to all scholars and the non-interference rule hadn't quite been established yet, then for the next couple of centuries after the Watchers fled Egypt I was somewhat concerned about the Methos Chronicles."

"What about your Chronicles?"

"I feared they might have survived? I mean, my appearance was not such a big deal back then. It's not like Egyptian portraits were accurate enough that they would have actually made me recognizable --that has been a problem only in the past five centuries or so, and especially in the last two hundred years with the advent of photography-- but even back then I didn't want to take any chances. When the two branches went their separate ways I took that as an opportunity to disappear. There were too many headhunters, my 'brothers' were still around and the distance between Watchers and Immortals was growing rapidly. I wasn't sure about where that was going and at the time it seemed like an all out war could be a real possibility so I decided to try and lay low for a while. It was only after I infiltrated the Watchers for the first time in the VII century that I confirmed that my Chronicle had been lost in the fire and I've remained a myth ever since."

"So you've known all along that the Watchers had gotten out of track? Then why didn't you just say something?"

"And what was I supposed to say? Was I supposed to approach them and say 'Excuse me, I am Methos and I've been watching you for thousands of years... I hate to bother you but I suspect you may have lost track of your true purpose somewhere along the way'? That would have worked... if I had been trying to determine how long it would have taken the Watchers to order my execution. By the time that happened the power had become much more important than the mission in **_both_** branches. The Slayer Watchers had implemented the Cruciamentum and the Immortal Watchers were enthralled by the fact that they had a secret and they had already developed their current paranoia when it came to Immortals learning about their existence. Saying something would have costed me my head, just like trying to stop Immortals from slaughtering each other for no reason would have done."

"But if you knew about this you should at least have done something to help Mac out back when..."

"I'm the first one to admit that I made a mistake, a big one." Methos said. "I was arrogant and I got caught up in the twentieth century. I may be over five thousand years old but I can only be in a single place at any given time. I had heard stories of champions and millennium demons before but I had never encountered one myself... I have seen so many religions rise and fall that all too often my first instinct is to dismiss them. How can I believe in the Bible when I'm in it? Ahriman was no different. As far as I was concerned he was just another myth that kept popping up every now and then and the fact that his name kept changing didn't exactly help matters either. It's not that I didn't believe in demons, I knew about slayers and the ones they fought but I had never encountered a demon that was to be fought by an Immortal and I had never paid much attention to that aspect of things before the schism. Back then all I wanted to do was to steer clear of my brothers and at the time I didn't even think that the whole Ahriman thing was worth looking into. The thing is that up until a few years ago I had never encountered an Immortal champion but I had seen plenty of insane Immortals so when Mac started talking to people he had fought --people he had already defeated-- it was easier for me to accept that he was losing his mind than to believe that there really was a demon posing as dead people... at least until after Richie died and by then it was too late. Mac took off and there was nothing I could do."

"Wait a minute, a demon posing as dead people?" Interrupted Buffy.

"Ahriman... or at least that was his name according to the zoroastrian myths, why?"

"It's just that it kind of reminds me of the First... the Big Bad we fought when Sunnydale was destroyed. He used to do the same thing and it was way creepy. I was just wondering if there could possibly be a connection between the two... or maybe I just wish that the bad guys would get a new script, I don't know. Did he stick to the dead or did he sometimes look like the living?"

"Mostly the dead, except when he pretended to be Richie... that's what got him killed in the end. He was extremely loyal to Mac but Mac just couldn't tell the real Richie from Ahriman's impersonation, he got confused and the wrong Richie lost his head."

"Lost his head? So this Richie was Immortal?"

"Yes."

"Then he was dead and fair game."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the First used to impersonate me all the time."

"But you are not dead!" Exclaimed Joe.

"No, not now, but I was... just another one of those long stories."

"Yes, well, there seem to be a lot of long stories that need to be explained, but I suspect we should leave those for another time. I believe we should focus on more Immediate concerns. There will be time to trade long stories later, right now I am more concerned with the fate of the Council." Said Giles.

"Does that mean that the history lesson is over? Please someone tell me that it **_is_** over. What are we supposed to do now? I don't know about you, guys, but as far as I can tell we've been here for a while and while this whole history deal is all nice and good, it doesn't really help us much. We know how the Council split, and we know that both branches of the Council should probably be forced to merge again but we still have no idea of how to achieve that."

"Yes, well, I am aware of that, Xander, and I also realize that at this point the Slayer branch is vulnerable, any open attempts at merging right now would almost certainly lead to us being absorbed and that would be a worst case scenario. Both branches lost sight of their original purpose long ago and we pretty much need to start from scratch, which means that the Immortal branch will have to be basically destroyed before we can move forward."

"Destroyed?" Exclaimed Joe.

"Well, I don't mean that we should plant a bomb like the one that took out the Slayer branch, but its structure must be undermined from the inside... that's why it was so important to have your presence here."

"You want my help to destroy the Watchers?"

"No, not the Watchers, just their current incarnation. It's more like we need your help to get the Watchers back on track."


	8. Chapter 8: Talkin' Bout a Revolution

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 8: Talkin' Bout a Revolution

Joe was staring at Giles incredulously, still trying to come to terms with what the man was suggesting. It was true that there was something wrong with the Watchers, Joe had seen it, he had fought it more than once. He had broken his oath time and time again but to destroy the Watchers meant openly betraying the institution that had taken him in when he had feared that everything was lost, when his world was shattered. To betray the Watchers would mean to go against the ones who had given him a reason to live after...

"No, I can't do it! There has to be another way!"

"There isn't."

"Then find someone else. You don't understand what you are asking me to do!"

"You think that's bad? Try to see it from a slayer's watcher's perspective. Believe me, I know what I'm asking you to do, and it's a lot less than what I'll have to do myself."

"Yes, of course, because slayer watchers are so much better than Immortal watchers."

"That has nothing to do with this. It's not a matter of who's a better watcher, both Councils messed up. The Slayer Council has already been destroyed and I suspect that no matter what you do the days of the Immortal branch are numbered... all I'm trying to do is avoid another bloodbath. That's why we are here."

"You said that what you are asking me to do is nothing compared to what it would be for a slayer watcher."

"I said it was _less_ not _nothing_. And maybe that was not the best way of putting it but there are differences that have an impact here and I won't deny that. That doesn't mean I believe you will find this easy."

"What kind of 'differences'?"

"Differences in the basic structure of both organizations. While there may be a tradition of watcher families in the Immortal branch, those remain the exception. You accidentally stumbled on immortality and were then recruited into the Watchers, that's the norm for an Immortal watcher. The slayer branch was far more secretive, there was rarely any new blood brought in and watchers were trained to be loyal to their organization since the day they were born... literally. I'm asking you to help me undermine a secret society you discovered as an adult, I'm betraying the principles my family has defended for over a thousand years. That's the difference. I'm not denying your loyalty, I am well aware of what I'm asking of you and you can be certain that if I could see another way we wouldn't be having this conversation, the problem is that there is no other way. Things went wrong thousands of years ago before either one of us was born. We had nothing to do with that but now we've reached a point in which something has to be done to correct those flaws. I don't want us to destroy the Watchers, that's not my goal, I'm trying to save them the only way I can. I believe that there are things that were set in motion a very long time ago and we have no choice but to deal with them. Whether you like it or not this group was not brought together by chance, there are too many coincidences. There is a purpose here, something we **_have_** to do and unfortunately those in charge are unlikely to share that perspective so we have no choice but to undermine them, to bring them down before we can build them up again."

"And how can you be so sure that those coincidences mean that the Council has to be destroyed? How can you be sure of your own interpretation of the facts?"

"I can't, but it is the most logical explanation."

"Because the slayer branch was destroyed?"

"No, it's more than that. That was the last straw but this whole thing started a long time ago."

"Can you show me one shred of evidence?"

"You are here."

"So what?"

"What are the chances that the one Immortal watcher to break the non-interference rule would be the watcher to the one Immortal that was eventually chosen as the Champion and not just that, but that that same watcher would then take it upon himself to find some answers for his charge... a quest that unwittingly led him to the doorstep of the watcher to the last active slayer before the destruction of the slayer branch?"

"Not many." Joe grudgingly admitted.

"And to those odds add the fact that you had befriended a young man who turned out to be none other than the world's oldest Immortal who had infiltrated the Watchers, that you were the one to learn his true identity and that you sent him straight here, not knowing anything about what was happening or about the Council's early history."

"Okay, so it was more than a coincidence, but I still don't see how you've gone from those facts to the need to undermine the Council to the point of causing its collapse."

"I'm not entirely sure myself, I think of it mostly as a deductive process. I think that going by the Council's early history both branches belong together, so that's the most reasonable final goal. I know that both branches lost their way, lost track of their true purpose and became corrupted through the millennia. I know that as things currently stand --with the slayer branch as weakened as it is-- any attempts at bringing them together without bringing down the Immortal branch first would fail to solve the problem because they would result in the slayer branch being absorbed without correcting the problems that plague the Immortal branch. If you don't like that explanation you can also see it as a matter of gut instinct."

"Yeah, well, I'm still not convinced that keeping the Watchers around at all is a good idea." Interrupted Buffy, "I mean, let's face it, seeing how the First Slayer was created I'm not sure even the Egyptian Watchers are such a great role model. If that's your Golden Age then I think I'll pass."

"I know, and I don't think they should be our primary guide here either." Explained Giles.

"So what's the alternative? I mean, we have the Immortal Watchers and the Slayer Watchers and if you ask me we would be better off without either of them. Are you going to tell me that there's a third branch ready to pop up at any given time? 'Cause if there is I'm so out of here."

"No, there was never a third branch to the Watchers, however I suspect there may have been an abortive one long before the Council as such was established and that's the one I believe may hold the key to the Council's reconstruction."

"An 'abortive' third branch?"

"One that never had a chance to get lost in a human quest for power... or --to be accurate-- one that represents the tree from which the Council itself branched out rather than a branch of the Council."

"Could you confuse that one a little more for us here? I mean, if you are not careful someone might actually manage to figure out what you mean, and we certainly wouldn't want **_that_** to happen now, would we?"

"What I mean is that they were never really a part of the Council. The root does not represent something that was lost but rather something that never quite coalesced into part of the Watchers as a formal organization, though at one time it might have had the potential to do so. They represent truly the foundation on which the original Council was built, but they have remained true to their origins. In fact they actually predate the creation of the First Slayer and they had no part in it."

"You mean that these guys could actually be useful? That would be a change!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Well, I don't mean you personally, but you just admitted that the Council messed up, so don't you dare go getting all cranky on me."

"What I'm saying is that we should look toward the root of the Council, the foundation upon which the whole structure was built. For a long time I've had a feeling that there have been too many coincidences in our lives."

"Meaning the Powers are playing with us... **_again_**. So, if the Powers are playing with us, where are those roots? Are they going to appear magically out of the past? How are we supposed to get in touch with a society that has managed to remain hidden for over five thousand years? I'm guessing that won't be easy. What, are they going to come knocking on our door, volunteering to help?"

"Not quite... at least as far as the fact that they won't come to us, quite the contrary actually... more like we'll go toward that root." Muttered Giles while he cleaned his glasses.

"Meaning?"

"Who created the First Slayer?"

"The Shadowmen."

"And to the best of our knowledge, who were the Shadowmen?"

"They were... oh, I see." Buffy trailed off.

"Well, I don't," said Blair, "could someone please fill in the blanks for those of us who have just tuned in?"

"They were shamans."


	9. Chapter 9: Full Circle

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1  
_**  
Chapter 9: Full Circle

"Whoa, hold on... could you run that one by me again?" Asked Blair.

"The Shadowmen were shamans." Said Buffy.

"And they 'created' the Slayer?"

"Yes."

"And going by your reaction I'm guessing there's a dark side to that story."

"Were you trying for the 'understatement of the year' award here? 'Cause you are close to getting it."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, let's see... as far as I can tell a few thousand years ago a group of your fellow shamans decided that they wanted a mystical warrior to confront the demons they were too weak to fight themselves so they took a girl, chained her to the earth and somehow transferred a demon's energy --its vital force-- into her. She was the First Slayer and when she died the demon's essence simply found a new host in another girl and then another one and another one until finally that essence got to me... or at least that's the PG-13 version of the story, you really **_don't_** want me to go into all the details."

"How did you find out about that? Somehow I don't think the Council would have wanted slayers to be aware of that."

"No. While the Shadowmen were in a sense the first watchers that part of the story was lost long before the written word came into the scene. As far as we knew the Slayer had existed since the dawn of time." Said Giles.

"Then what happened?"

"While we were looking for a way to defeat the First we had a nice shadow puppet show and I got sent to a different dimension, time, whatever." Explained Buffy. "The thing is that while I was there I got an up close and personal look at exactly what they did... actually they tried to do it again but I... I couldn't go through with it. To them the girls were nothing and the power was everything. I managed to fight that thing off somehow but they... they said the First Slayer begged them to stop too but they wouldn't listen to her either. Why did they do it?"

"I understand your anger, Buffy --and I know it must have been scary for you to be there-- I'm not trying to minimize the horror of what happened but I suspect you may be looking at the whole thing from too much of a contemporary perspective." Said Blair, knowing that he was going to have no choice but to be the rational one.

"Well, duh, how else am I supposed to look at it?"

"If you wish to understand then you must try to get a clearer picture of the world in which those events took place."

"What? A world in which a sort of mystical rape was acceptable? Sorry, not my kind of world, thanks for playing."

"No, but maybe a world in which sacrifices --**_human_** sacrifices-- were a fact of life. A world in which the sacrifice of a young girl in exchange for a warrior capable of defeating a demon was well worth it."

"It wasn't just one girl though, was it? Thousands of slayers have died through the millennia because of what they did."

"I know, and I'm not defending what was done to those girls, or what they tried to do to you for that matter. All I'm saying is that the Shadowmen are unlikely to have considered things from a modern perspective. It was a brutal world they lived in and going by the guidelines that ruled their lives the trade-off --even if they had thought about all the girls that would be sacrificed to their cause in a distant future, which they probably **_didn't_**-- was a no-brainer as far as they were concerned."

"Yes, of course, because girls were disposable." Growled Buffy.

"No, because girls were precious."

"Okay, I'm so not following you."

"The whole point of making a sacrifice is to give up something you value, Buffy. If you sacrifice something that is worthless to you then it has no meaning."

"But why girls then? Why not boys?"

"Would it have been less awful if slayers had been boys? Would that have made the sacrifice more acceptable?"

"Of course not, but you've got to admit that it would have made a lot more sense."

"Not really. I suspect part of the problem has to do with the fact that we live in a male dominated society --one we are finally starting to move away from-- and that has tainted your perception. You are convinced that the Shadowmen sacrificed a girl because they believed her to be worth less than a boy, but that perception is more a reflection of our own world than of theirs."

"Then why? A boy would probably have been seen as stronger, at least to begin with."

"I believe the choice of a girl had more to do with the symbolic role of the Slayer than with the gender of its vessel. Back then a man would have been seen as a warrior --a bringer of death in a sense-- a woman would have been seen as a giver of life."

"So?"

"So, if demons and vampires personify death, who would have been seen as more apt to defeat them --to be perceived as the killer of death if you will-- the bringer of death or the giver of life?"

"The giver of life, I guess. Are you speaking as a shaman or as an anthropologist here?"

"I don't know, not really... I guess they merged somewhere along the way."

"Okay, so you are telling me that the Shadowmen were not **_totally_** evil, just mostly evil?"

"I'm saying that they were human, nothing more and nothing less than that. That doesn't mean that they did no harm but they and the world in which they lived have been gone for thousands of years, don't turn them into the boogeyman that keeps you up at night."

"I won't, but just thinking about it pisses me off."

"Yes, well, all rationalizations aside, you are most definitely not alone there. It's just that you can't change the past. No matter how vivid it may seem sometimes, it's still the past."

"I know. So I guess you just got recruited into the new Council, uh?"

"Nah, actually I suspect I was recruited a couple of years ago as part of a two for one special featuring a matched set of Sentinel and Guide... we just never got the memo until tonight."

"You may have a point there, after all, being a watcher is sort of a family tradition for you."

"I cannot out run my tragic fate!" Said Blair jokingly.

"Very funny you two. Could we get this thing back on track? I knew this was bound to be a long night but I'd like us to be done before dawn." Said Giles.

"Too late, I'm already here."

"That's not what I meant."

"Well, it's not like we have a vamp to worry about, so what's with the hurry?" Said Xander.

"I think maybe we should consider wrapping things up for tonight, it's not like we have that much left to discuss. We pretty much covered every conceivable aspect of the Council's history, now we just have to put that in perspective and that will probably be easier once we've had some rest. Right now it looks like the troops are starting to get restless after the onslaught of facts you've managed to send their way." Added Methos.

"I may have gotten a little carried away." Admitted Giles.

"Jeez... ya think?" Said Buffy.

"And I wasn't the only one, besides these were all things that had to be brought up."

"Well, it was kind of interesting, but I'm not sure how much help all this is going to be. We may have a couple of ideas as to what **_not_** to do, but as far as what kind of form the Council should take I'm pretty much drawing a blank here."

"I don't know what form the new Council will take either, but I have the feeling that we are at least on the right track. I don't think that the fact that we are all here is a coincidence. Look around, what do you see?"

"A bunch of lunatics with more imagination than common sense?" Asked Joe.

"Well, maybe that too, but think about it. We have a shaman and a tribal guardian, the watcher to the most recent Champion and the world's oldest Immortal, a Slayer's watcher and the most successful Slayer in recorded history, two of the world's most powerful witches, a mystical Key and two humans --both of whom have fought the forces of darkness in spite of the fact that they have no special powers-- who can't help but remind us of **_why_** we fight. This is the seed of the Council... we are all here."


End file.
